News

The developer of the six-lane carriageway, TransJamaican Highway Limited (TJH), announced that RUBIS Energy will be constructing a gas station along the Portmore Causeway.

“The service station on T2 is designed to enhance the customer experience on the highway. We do anticipate that they will be able to fill up with RUBiS Energy petrol or diesel but also enjoy the services of the convenience store,” explained Melbourne Lyn-Cook, TJH quality and maintenance engineer manager.

Under the initiative, persons receive a cash grant of $75,000 while also being provided with in-kind support, such as food, toiletries and bedding.

Acting Director for Disaster, Rehabilitation and Welfare Management in the Ministry, Jacqueline Shepherd, explained that the facility is designed to provide relief assistance to persons affected by flooding, earthquakes, fire or any other emergency that might happen because of a disaster.

From approximately 8:00 pm Friday, thousands of residents served by the facility have been without water, with the utility company failing to provide an update until midday Sunday.

In an advisory on the situation, the NWC stated: “Water supply is currently disrupted for NWC customers in sections of St. Catherine due to mechanical issues impacting the Marlie Mount water facility. The company is indicating that as soon as an assessment is done customers will be informed of a restoration date.”

They report that children continue to be the main targets of this heinous crime in Jamaica.

Head of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) Anti-Trafficking in Persons Unit at the Counter Terrorism and Organised Crime Investigations Branch, Woman Detective Inspector Kimesha Gordon, told JIS News that while the actual figure is not high, any child falling victim to this illicit activity is one too many.

Going into almost a full week their plight remains unchanged. No water and no idea when service will be restored.

The cause for the disruption and possible timeline for restoration is still unknown with the state-owned utility provider yet to provide any clarity on the matter.

Its only communiqué behind the abrupt disruption in service was an advisory issued Sunday stating its team is still assessing the situation.

But this lack of communication and seemingly lack of urgency to a bubbling water crisis has increased frustrations amongst affected residents.

The scale and extensiveness of the JPS bill increase for August came to the OUR’s attention after the utility began to dispatch the bills and customers started to complain about high electricity charges.

In 2021 the OUR communicated to JPS that it viewed any average increase in overall rates in excess of 5% to be a rate or bill shock; a situation that should be avoided. Previously, in one-off spikes, the regulatory treatment is that the additional cost to customers was spread over several months to mitigate the effects on customers.

Georgieva’s comments came as she announced this morning her proposed appointment of the Jamaica Finance Minister to the position of Deputy Managing Director, effective October 31, 2024.

He will succeed Ms. Antoinette Sayeh, who, has announced that she will be stepping down on September 12.

Firefighters are currently on the scene working to extinguish the blaze.

According to information reaching Old Harbour News the fire started moments ago about 7:50 pm.

In an update just now the fire has been fully extinguished Old Harbour News can report, as fire units from May Pen and Spanish Town collaborated with their Old Harbour colleagues.

The operation, it is understood, lasted roughly an hour before the situation was fully brought under control.

A massive fire which started about 7:50 pm Tuesday night quickly consumed the entire facility located at the compound’s rear of sister company OJ Koolers on South Street, Old Harbour.

Within approximately an hour firefighters from Old Harbour, May Pen and Spanish Town worked assiduously to extinguish the blaze with no report of anyone being injured.

In the aftermath of Tuesday’s blaze firefighters have been busy at the scene trying to ascertain the cause, while Jamaica Bedding officials are crunching the numbers to determine the estimate of the damage.

They have been identified so far only by their aliases: ‘Pops’ and ‘Duppy Maker’, as investigators open up a probe into a gun attack in which five people were shot at with one person receiving a minor injury.

According to preliminary investigation about 8:40 pm the worshipers – all between the ages of 14 and 51 – had just left the church in ‘Africa’ when the vehicle they were in was attacked by the two alleged culprits who fled afterwards.